Page 35 - IRMSA Risk Report 2023

Nerine Kahn, former Commissioner and Director at the CCMA and Managing
Director of Employment Relations Exchange proposes that to achieve the NDP
goal of building capabilities there needs to be a much bigger focus on developing
our people capacity through education and modernising the way we educate
people. “This is the single biggest risk people face as the education is limited to
more and more privately educated citizens”. The world is moving towards Artificial
Intelligence and the poor level of education and development of people will be
leaving the South African workforces behind.

Adding to the sentiments raised by Chris Yelland, Nerine says workplaces remain in
many instances the only places where some generations and people get to interact
in a cross cultural or cross racial environment. The need to integrate and focus
on the challenges that are faced by people is critical, as this is bubbling under.
Workplaces need to understand that the frustrations of the broader society are
playing out in the workplace, e.g., no electricity, no water, rising cost of living,
transport challenges from trains being burnt to taxi wars and the like.

Also, much is being written about mental health and the workplace and there is a
higher and higher risk of people being mentally challenged from workplace stress
coupled with living the day-to-day reality of life in South Africa for the ordinary
worker.Nerine Kahn, former Commissioner and Director at the CCMA and Managing
Director of Employment Relations Exchange proposes that to achieve the NDP
goal of building capabilities there needs to be a much bigger focus on developing
our people capacity through education and modernising the way we educate
people. “This is the single biggest risk people face as the education is limited to
more and more privately educated citizens”. The world is moving towards Artificial
Intelligence and the poor level of education and development of people will be
leaving the South African workforces behind.

Adding to the sentiments raised by Chris Yelland, Nerine says workplaces remain in
many instances the only places where some generations and people get to interact
in a cross cultural or cross racial environment. The need to integrate and focus
on the challenges that are faced by people is critical, as this is bubbling under.
Workplaces need to understand that the frustrations of the broader society are
playing out in the workplace, e.g., no electricity, no water, rising cost of living,
transport challenges from trains being burnt to taxi wars and the like.

Also, much is being written about mental health and the workplace and there is a
higher and higher risk of people being mentally challenged from workplace stress
coupled with living the day-to-day reality of life in South Africa for the ordinary
worker.

NERINE KAHN

IRMSA RISK REPORT 2023/24 35